Over 400 Idaho FFA Students Attend Annual Leadership Convention

The 4-day event at the College of Southern Idaho allows high schoolers to learn, connect, and explore their futures through contests, seminars, and guest speakers.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 8:06pm

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More than 400 Idaho high school students from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) organization gathered at the College of Southern Idaho this week for the annual FFA Leadership Convention. The 4-day event, running from April 1-4, featured a variety of contests, seminars, and guest speakers designed to help the students learn, connect, and explore their future career paths in agriculture and related fields.

Why it matters

The FFA Leadership Convention is a longstanding tradition that gives Idaho's future farmers and agricultural leaders a chance to hone their skills, discover new interests, and build connections within the state's farming community. As farmland continues to shrink across Idaho, events like this help sustain interest and investment in the state's agricultural sector.

The details

The convention featured a range of activities, including a livestock judging competition at the CSI Expo Center on Wednesday. Current CSI agriculture students Kaylee and Gus, who participated in FFA in high school, said the convention provides valuable practice for future contests and helps students identify their strengths and areas for improvement. Other students, like Gunnar from Salmon and Haily from Declo, used the event to explore new interests, with Gunnar focusing on bull judging and Haily interested in learning more about crop science. Isabella, a student from Moscow, saw the convention as an opportunity to check out CSI's veterinary program as a potential college choice.

  • The FFA Leadership Convention ran from April 1 through April 4, 2026.
  • The livestock judging competition took place on the morning of Wednesday, April 2, 2026.

The players

Kaylee

A current agriculture student at the College of Southern Idaho who participated in FFA during high school.

Gus

A current agriculture student at the College of Southern Idaho who has participated in the FFA Leadership Convention's judging contests for the past 4 years.

Gunnar

An FFA student from Salmon, Idaho who enjoys the bull judging contests at the convention.

Haily

An FFA student from Declo, Idaho who is interested in exploring crop science and learning the basics of how chemicals can help plants grow.

Isabella

An FFA student from Moscow, Idaho who is considering the College of Southern Idaho's veterinary program as a top college choice.

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What they’re saying

“This is really great practice for a lot of different contests – it is an invitational, so anybody from across the state can come and participate in this.”

— Kaylee, Current CSI agriculture student

“FFA gave me a lot in my life. I think it's super important for kids to be a part of this - you can learn a lot from the judging contests – being a part of an officer team or just a chapter in general.”

— Kaylee, Current CSI agriculture student

“This is kind of the start of the year, you kind of get focused on stuff you think you do well on and stuff you need to improve on.”

— Gus, Current CSI agriculture student

“I go to bull sales every year, so bulls are my favorite judging... I know what I'm looking for.”

— Gunnar, FFA student from Salmon, Idaho

“I want to go into crop science and learn the basics on what chemicals do to help the plants grow.”

— Haily, FFA student from Declo, Idaho

What’s next

The FFA Leadership Convention will continue through April 4, with additional contests, seminars, and networking opportunities for the participating students.

The takeaway

The FFA Leadership Convention at the College of Southern Idaho provides a valuable platform for Idaho's future farmers and agricultural leaders to develop their skills, explore new interests, and build connections within the state's vibrant farming community. As the industry faces challenges like shrinking farmland, events like this help sustain interest and investment in agriculture, ensuring the next generation is prepared to lead.